Wednesday, November 26, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Withrow
Withrow receives an average of about 850,00 bushels per year and it the company’s third largest station making a solid contribution to the stability of the cooperative. Farm storage delivered throughout the year keeps this station in operation constantly. The company agent lives in Withrow and is an additional contribution to this close knit community. Withrow handled over a record million bushels in the 1975-76 year.

A fire in April of 1975 destroyed the machinery in the east concrete elevator. The fire failed to damage the building structurally and new equipment was installed. Alert local citizens and good fire fighting equipment prevented what could have been a serious blow to the cooperative.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Douglas
Construction of two new steel tanks, adjacent to the steel elevator, bring Douglas storage capacity to approximately 670,000 bushels. In 1974, Central Washington Grain Growers, Inc. purchased the Waterville Railway Co., and its loading facility at Douglas. Douglas not only receives over 400,000 bushels per year, but serves as a loading point for Waterville grain as well.

Douglas served as the billing point for all grain on the line until 1973 when the Burlington Northern closed the depot and established a traveling agent.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Almira
Located only a few miles from the western border of Lincoln County, Almira serves as headquarters for operation of the Cooperative’s East District.

Almira is “where it all began.” Thinking cooperatively the farmers of this area started their own warehousing business by purchasing the Almira Trading Co. back in 1937 and systematically added facilities (1941-1945—1953-1955) over the years to reach the present storage capacity of 833,000 bushels. A new leg belt, cups, etc. have improved the handling capacity at this station in an effort to keep pace with the ever-increasing size of harvesting equipment.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Hartline
Hartline became a part of CWGG in 1961 when Almira Grain Growers purchased the General Mills elevator and added the Farmer’s Union Grain in 1962.

Hartline is now Central Washington Grain Growers, Inc.’s second largest receiving station, at times receiving far in excess of the storage capacity. In 1975, the old mill on the east was removed and replaced with modern receiving and shipping equipment.

Extra large crops or unforeseen carryovers of previous years have caused wheat to be piled outside. Hartline is probably more suitable than any other location to handle that emergency.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Alstown
Alstown got its name from Al Gormley, and early settler. Harvest usually starts early at Alstown. Yield and quality of the new crops are watched closely and often serve as an indicator of what may be expected in later areas. Alstown has been a station that usually had room for the crop, but in recent years growers have increased production to where considerable shipping is required at harvest.

Alstown is operated by personnel from Waterville. A telephone has replaced the radio for the convenience of grows as well as fast and accurate reporting.

Supplee
As the railroad turns east from Douglas it is only about 5 miles to Supplee. What some old timers remember about Supplee is Waterville Union Grain’s first facility at Supplee which consisted of just a platform to pile sacks on.

Now Supplee is just another elevator along the railroad track. Usually handling less than its storage capacity, Supplee often receives the overflow grain when Alstown or Douglas become congested. Personnel from Waterville operate this facility. Growers market their grain at the main office in Waterville.

Friday, November 21, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Waterville
Only 10 miles from the Columbia River, with Badger Mountain as a land mark, Waterville is the home office and headquarters of one of the larges grain companies in the Pacific Northwest. The spacious office at Baker and Ash streets is also the grain merchandising hub for the growers of Lincoln, Grant, Douglas, and Okanogan counties. Five other buying offices funnel grain purchases to the head office for direct marketing for export.

Grain grown at elevations in excess of 3,000 feet make Waterville one of the later harvesting areas. At times our handling facilities are pressed beyond capacity as grain comes from all directions. In short order the railroad truck begins the transfer of grain to Douglas for loading into box cars.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Coulee City
The area around Coulee City had undergone many changes in recent years, since the completion of Grand Coulee Dam. The ever-growing Columbia Irrigation project begins here and is the original source of water for the parched lands of the Columbia Basin. However, almost all of the grain received at our elevator comes from dry lands.

The Burlington Northern branch line ends at Coulee City and carries about 65 percent of the area’s grain. About 35 percent is moved by trucks from farm storage to river and coast terminals.

A new office was built in 1975. The 80 foot truck scale with electronic printer and readout has helped to speed up operations at harvest. It’s part of the cooperative’s effort to keep pace with the rapid changes in farming practices.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Grand Coulee
Our Grand Coulee station sits in the shadow of this nation’s largest hydroelectric power dam. Passers by see more power lines than anything else. But high on the surroundings hills and plateaus are fields of waving grain reaching out in all directions—toward Almira, Hartline, Coulee City, Del Rio and across the Columbia River.

Grand Coulee is the cooperative’s only truck station. The closest rail head is Coulee City. All grain handled here is hauled out by trucks to the coast and river terminals.

The newly painted steel grain bins can be seen shining brightly from every approach.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Mansfield
The Mansfield station can boast of being the largest receiving station of Central Washington Grain Growers, Inc.

Since the early homestead years Mansfield has been served by many different grain companies and mill. Now all of the elevators are operated by this grower owned cooperative.

This year your Board of Directors took action to correct part of the harvest bottleneck by installing a 6,000 bushel per hour elevator leg in the south facility. The most modern and accurate electronic weighing equipment has replaced the old scale. Up-dating of these facilities will no doubt continue.

Mansfield is often referred to as the “End of the Line,” as the Burlington Northern’s front line terminates here.

Grain marketing information flows into the office via wire services from the Grain Exchanges in Kansas City, Chicago and Minneapolis. Growers now have the most current market information available.

The three fulltime employees and residents of Mansfield are assisted by six additional people at harvest time.

This information comes from a 1970s Central Washington Grain Growers brochure, showing off their grain facilities.

Hanson
Hanson, along with Almira, was one of the tow original stations which began what is now Central Washington Grain Growers. Just across the line into Grant County, Hanson station serves growers in Lincoln County as well. Until 1974 this area was represented by Mr. A. Keiner, long-time resident and one of the cooperative’s original directors.

From the first 50,000 bushel crib elevator, Hanson has grown to 641,000 bushel capacity. Just this last year improvements in this elevator’s receiving leg mad it one of the most efficient in the entire company.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Note that this train did not go further north to Adrian or Coulee City. My understanding is though these 2 "branches" were physically connected, through traffic was all but gone, due to no online businesses between Wheeler and Coulee City.